Payne, Sherrill Back Federal Gun Bill Along With Other NJ Democrats

NEW JERSEY — The U.S. House of Representatives passed a sweeping gun control bill by a vote of 234-193 on Friday, getting “yes” votes from Rep. Donald Payne Jr. and Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey along the way.

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which has passed in the Senate, now heads to President Joe Biden's desk. If the president signs it – which he is expected to do – the bill would strengthen background checks for the youngest firearms buyers, expand the definition of a gun seller and impose new penalties on gun traffickers. It provides about $15 billion to states and local communities to improve school safety and fund mental health initiatives.

The legislation would also make $750 million available to the 19 states and the District of Columbia that have "red flag" laws to make it easier for them to temporarily take away firearms from people who have been adjudged to be dangerous, and to other states with violence prevention programs. To receive the money, a state with a red flag law would have to have a legal process in place for the gun owner to fight firearm removal.

• Read More: Bipartisan Gun Violence Bill 1st Significant Curb On Guns In 29 Years

The legislation got a stamp of approval from all of New Jersey’s Democratic Congress members: Donald Norcross, Andy Kim, Josh Gottheimer, Frank Pallone, Tom Malinowski, Albio Sires, Bill Pascrell Jr., Donald Payne Jr., Mikie Sherrill and Bonnie Watson Coleman.

Although 14 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, the majority – including New Jersey’s two GOP House members, Jeff Van Drew and Chris Smith – voted “no” on the bill.

See the Congressional Budget Office cost estimate for the bill here.

The bill has seen staunch criticism from gun rights groups such as the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action, which had this to say about the Senate version of the proposed law earlier this week:

"The NRA will support legislation that improves school security, promotes mental health services, and helps reduce violent crime. However, we will oppose this gun control legislation because it falls short at every level. It does little to truly address violent crime while opening the door to unnecessary burdens on the exercise of Second Amendment freedom by law-abiding gun owners. This legislation can be abused to restrict lawful gun purchases, infringe upon the rights of law-abiding Americans, and use federal dollars to fund gun control measures being adopted by state and local politicians. This bill leaves too much discretion in the hands of government officials and also contains undefined and overbroad provisions – inviting interference with our constitutional freedoms."

But supporters of the law argue that it is one of many "commonsense" steps that the U.S. should have taken long ago.

Rep. Payne, who represents New Jersey’s 10th District, said the bill will establish stronger gun control measures, protect victims of domestic violence and create stronger protections from gun violence in schools across the United States.

“I supported this bill because it provides some commonsense solutions to curb gun violence in our communities,” Payne said.

The congressman continued:

“It keeps guns out of the hands of criminals, increases school protections against gun violence, and protects victims of domestic abuse. But I hope this is the start of more commonsense legislation and not the end. We need to increase the purchase age for guns to 21 years old at least and ban assault weapon sales nationwide. We need to make the creation of ghost guns illegal. Then we need to institute a nationwide gun buyback program, like the one I introduced, to get guns off the streets. These actions will help us provide safer communities for all Americans.”

Payne’s colleague in the 11th District, Rep. Sherrill – a former Navy helicopter pilot and a member of the House Armed Services Committee – also voted for the bill on Friday.

Sherrill said she is advocating for the gun control measures in the bill as a former federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as a congresswoman, and as a mother of four school-aged children.

“As a federal prosecutor, I saw the impact of illegal guns in our communities here in New Jersey and worked to get them off our streets,” Sherrill said. “The provisions in this legislation that crack down on straw gun purchasing and trafficking will make a real difference in curbing the gun violence experienced by Americans every day in cities across the country.”

Sherrill also said the bill includes “commonsense provisions to enhance background checks, invest in mental health resources, help implement extreme risk protection orders and support community safety.”

“For too long, our country has been an outlier amongst our peer nations who have implemented laws that keep their citizens safe from this senseless violence,” Sherrill said. “This public safety package is long overdue.”

“Unfortunately, as Congress acts to protect our communities, the Supreme Court is rolling back protections in a dangerous and extreme way,” Sherrill added, noting that the court recently struck down states’ rights to regulate limits on concealed carry in public.

• See related article: New York Gun Law Overturned By U.S. Supreme Court In Major Ruling

Gun rights advocates have lined up behind that court decision, however, arguing that it affirms "the right to bear arms does not stop at a person’s front door."

"Gun owners throughout the nation, and especially in New Jersey, should take time to celebrate this truly historic decision, which has been decades in the making," the Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs wrote.

This article contains reporting by Beth Dalbey, Patch staff

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